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2010 Toronto Cycling Map adds Bike Boxes

May 13, 2010 By 18 Comments

2010 Toronto Cycling Map CoverEach year, the City of Toronto releases a comprehensive map of cycling infrastructure and suggested routes.

The map indicates bike locker locations, stairs with bicycle groves, bicycle rental locations and clearly indicates every bike lane and multi-use path throughout Toronto.

With a stalled Bike Plan, the 2010 edition varies only slightly from its predecessor.

One noticeable change is the addition of bike boxes to the illustrations explaining cycling infrastructure for cyclists (and motorists).

Hopefully we’ll be seeing these installed this summer!

Updated October 8, 2010: Bike boxes have been installed at the intersection of Harbord/St. George/Hoskin, photos here: http://bikingtoronto.com/duncan/let-the-learning-begin-bike-boxes-at-harbord-and-st-george/

To download PDFs of the cycling map, visit the City of Toronto web site here.

2010 Toronto Cycling Map Bike Box 1

2010 Toronto Cycling Map Bike Box 2

Posted by duncan Read his blog here: Duncan’s City Ride

Filed Under: infrastructure, maps
About duncan

Duncan rides bicycles in the city of Toronto and contributes to the main blog of BikingToronto as well as writing and taking photos for his blog Duncan's City Ride.

  • duncan

    Toronto Council will consider a pilot project for Bike boxes at College/Spadina… possibly Toronto’s Worst Intersection. More here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/worst-intersection-spadina-and-college/article1602876/

  • TO

    Amazing. We want these now!

  • http://www.tysonwilliams.com/ Tyson Williams

    Brilliant idea! I hope we will see them soon on the streets of Toronto!

  • Zappa

    Yes. In ten years Toronto will be an unfriendly car city. We know we don’t need them. Bike or TTC or die!!!

  • Corey

    Worst idea ever! Cars have enough difficulty stopping at regular intersections. The number of times as a pedestrian I have had to walk around cars that are stopped in the middle of an intersection caught in a red light is unbelievable. This will just antagonize drivers even more (much like comments “Bike or TTC or die!!!”) and cause greater hostility on the roads. I would love a car free city but I am a realist a realize that that will never happen in my lifetime (and I’m only in my 30′s)

  • antony

    I have no idea what Corey is trying to say. This is such a small deal it’s practically a non-issue.

  • Hot diggity

    If anything, this bike box should help keep pedestrians safe too. We really should have advanced left and right turn signals for cars at every intersection. This would prevent aggressive drivers from trying to beat other cars and cutting people off.

  • http://bikingtoronto.com/members/bikeroo/ Bikeroo
  • http://ThumbShift.com Jo

    Hmnn…
    This obviously well-intention yet simplistic initiative could just be another artificial barrier to actually smoothing traffic flow…and a new way to create acrimony between Cyclists and Motorists.

    By frustrating Drivers who could otherwise make a red-light RH turn, this will just drag the overall poor traffic flow average down even further…and raise the average blood pressure of traffic bound motorists lookign at a car sittign idel at an intersection that they could otherwise turn safely through…With abit of basic common sense on everyone’s part.

    Luckily/historically…When a light turns green, the right of way for crossing Pedestrians, already holds up RH turns for cars long enough for any Cyclists to move through the intersection as it is. If there are no Pedestrians waiting when I get to an intersection, and a RH turning driver has their signal going already, I don’t presume to be able to block his turn by moving up ahead of them (effectively slowign all traffic behind us as well). This plan is going to piss off even the most considerate Motorist, and create longer term issues down the road…Surely

    As for Cyclists and Motorists waiting for a LH turn at a red light…The Cyclists can already safely walk theri bike across the pedestrian walk to the LH corner during a red light, and wait for the green light to the opposite the side of the street that will allow them to finish crossing the intersection to the opposite side/corner once the light is green…Usually faster and MUCH safer than trying a LH turn ACROSS oncoming traffic that gets released on the same green. Unless we’re it’s a rare advance green of course.

    Ultimately…Most people’s consideration and general knowledge of traffic rules is abysmal as it is…This is just going to add more chaos, and frustration, as Motorists and Cyclists vie for this new artificial piece of space at intersections, rather than working things out with self-awareness and basic logic.

    This might work under specific/ideal circumstances, but right now I suspect that this is going to be just like the “sharrow” as far as myopically well-intentioned waste of public resources goes…Albeit with much more Driver hostility created along the way this time.

    I’ll be hoping to balance this view with some positive results…

    SEE ALSO: “Us and Them”
    http://thumbshift.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/us-and-them/

    Just Sayin
    Jo

  • http://ThumbShift.com Jo

    PS: Sorry bout the typos :-[

  • Rometheis

    As previously mentioned, it seems well intentioned however is just going to cost money and frustration. Cyclist already do whatever they want at intersections for the most part and do not usual consider right turning car traffic. These boxes will make right turning traffic even more strenuous as well as make straight through traffic impatient as slow cycling traffic advances and then moves to the right. Technically a moving vehicle on a highway or roadway must ad hear to to the speed limits and for the most part bicycles cannot and thus must not drive in a main lane. This is why bicycle lanes were created in part.

    Have more bike lanes, let the bike line up and keep them back from the intersection to allow for right or left turning traffic on reds.

    Ultimately safety is everyone responsibility and awareness and respect is the solution.

  • duncan

    FYI everyone, these bike boxes will be accompanied by no right on red restrictions. Toronto and East York Community Council will bring this up on June 22, 2010.

    http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/te/agendas/2010-06-22-te35-ar.htm

    TE35.76 No Right Turn on Red Regulations

    Transportation Services, Toronto and East York District, recommends that:

    1. City Council approve implementation of “No Right Turn on Red” regulations at the following locations and in the directions indicated:

    a. eastbound and westbound from College Street onto Spadina Avenue;

    b. eastbound and westbound from College Street onto Beverley Street and St. George Street, respectively;

    c. northbound from Beverley Street onto College Street;

    d. southbound from St. George Street onto College Street;

    e. northbound from St. George Street onto Hoskin Avenue;

    f. southbound from St. George Street onto Harbord Street;

    g. eastbound from Harbord Street onto St. George Street;

    h. westbound from Hoskin Avenue onto St. George Street;

    i. northbound and southbound from Bay Street onto Bloor Street West; and

    j. eastbound and westbound from Bloor Street West onto Bay Street.

    2. City Council authorize and direct the appropriate City officials to take the necessary action to give effect thereto, including the introduction of all necessary bills.
    Summary

    This report is requesting approval from City Council to install “No Right Turn on Red” regulations at the following five (5) intersections in the Toronto and East York District:

    - College Street and Spadina Avenue;

    - College Street and St. George/Beverley Street;

    - Harbord Street and Spadina Avenue;

    - Harbord Street/Hoskin Avenue and St. George Street; and

    - Bloor Street West and Bay Street.

    Prohibiting right turns on red at the selected intersections is designed to promote pedestrian safety and is required in order to install bike boxes and a pedestrian scramble intersection. Bike boxes will be installed at the College Street and Harbord Street/Hoskin Avenue intersections and the pedestrian scramble operation will be installed at the intersection of Bloor Street West and Bay Street. The installation of bike boxes and the pedestrian scramble operation will increase pedestrian and cyclist safety and decrease potential collisions with right turning vehicles. Further, the recommended “No Right Turn on Red” regulations will have a minimal affect on traffic operations based on the volume of vehicles currently making the right turn on red manoeuvre.

    The pedestrian priority phase at the Bloor Street West and Bay Street intersection was “approved by City Council at its meeting on October 22 and 23, 2007 in considering the report titled ‘Sustainable Transportation Initiatives: Short-term Proposals’ (PW9.2)”.

    Financial Impact

    All costs associated with the installation of the “No Right Turn on Red” regulations are included within the Transportation Services Division’s 2010 Operating Budget estimate.

    The funds to implement the bike boxes identified in this report are available within the Transportation Services Division 2010 Capital Budget in the Cycling Infrastructure Account CTP 810-05.

    Background Information
    TE35.76 – Staff Report – No Right Turn on Red Regulations
    http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-31258.pdf

  • http://www.cameronroberts.ca Cameron Roberts

    Just wanted to note that bike boxes have now been painted at St. George & Harbord in all directions. I’ve been wanting them here ever since seeing how well it works on a trip to Taiwan..

    Safe & happy cycling!

  • duncan

    Thanks, Cameron. We’ve posted photos of the new bike boxes here: http://bikingtoronto.com/duncan/let-the-learning-begin-bike-boxes-at-harbord-and-st-george/

  • http://bikingtoronto.com/members/vaughandurful/ Vaughandurful

    Of course, the four-wheeled never know where to stop, even when there is an obvious stop bar painted on the road. Funny to see the cabbies pic – quite ironic that they knew where to stop on a red.

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